SpaceX-launched Eutelsat, ABS All-electric Sats To Arrive Ahead of Schedule

摘要

The two commercial geostationary-orbit telecommunications satellites launched March 1 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket - a launch that debuted the rocket's dual-launch-to-geo capability and a new all-electric satellite design by Boeing - are expected to reach their final orbits at least a month ahead of schedule, their owners said. The owners, ABS of Bermuda and Eutelsat of Paris, said a particularly good launch injection by the Falcon 9 is the main reason why the ABS-3A and Eutelsat 115 West B spacecraft will reach their operating stations in late August and late September, respectively. ABS and Eutelsat both disputed industry rumors of a Falcon 9 underperformance in the days following the launch. It now appears that the suspected launch anomaly was in fact a better-than-expected performance by the Falcon 9.